electronic (computer based) control system

[tech-strike]

Being on a manufacturing engineering degree course I am a total novice to electronics, for part of my studies I have to design an electronic (computer based) control system.
I am quite baffled by this and was wondering if you could help? The objective is as follows:
To design an electronic (computer based) control system which measures air temperature and pressure in a greenhouse using analogue input signals. It also records closure of the door using a limit switch. The unit opens the window system using a servometer in order to stabilise the temperature (this is an analogue output). Also it illuminates a LED if the temperature exceeds a high value.

I must show a sketch/CAD design of the system and show the central computer as a single module. giving full details of the input/output signal processing arrangements.

I would be ever so grateful if you could help or suggest somewhere I could look on the internet for similar project.

 

[evandude]

do you use AOL Instant Messenger?

if so, you can reach me on there at night, my screen name is izakdude

from what you wrote it's hard to tell, but do you need to actually BUILD this system? or just DESIGN it?

 

[bmcculla]

Is sounds like they just want you to use generic building blocks like a DAQ card with digital IO, AtoDs and DtoAs. If you want some ideas about what sort of stuff you can buy for computer data aquisition and control take a look at National Instruments' web site. They are one of the biggest companies selling computer measurement products.

Hope this helps
Brent

 

[evandude]

sounds like a job that a PIC microcontroller would be more than qualified for... but I guess that would depend on what the project requires, ie- their definition of "computer based"